Railroad car handling apparatus



Aug. 16, 1955 E. .1. DOEHLER RAILROAD CAR HANDLING APPARATUS 3Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 25, 1953 Aug. 16, 1955 E. J. Dor-:HLER

RAILROAD CAR HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1955{lllxlllllllllll1 Aug. 16, 1955 E. J. DOEHLER RAILROAD CAR HANDLINGAPPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25, 1953 United States Patent Obvd RAILROAD CAR HANBLENG APPARATUS Emil J. Deelder, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application August 25, 1953, Serial No. 376,343 1 Claim. (Cl. 10d- 26)This invention relates to improvements in railroad car handlingapparatus of the type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,532,316or' January l5, 1952, for use in connection with controlling the speedof railroad cars during classication of the same in railroad yards.

'lhe invention forming the subject matter of this application relatesgeneraliy to the construction of endless belts arranged at the sides ofa railroad track in position to engage the undersurfaces of car trucksor the like for controlling the speeds of the cars.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simpliiied and lessexpensive construction of the chains for engaging the trucks. Anotherobject is to provide a simplied and improved supporting mechanism forthe end less chains, A further object is to produce a chain havingresilient pads or cushions mounted on chain links for engagement withthe railroad car trucks. it is also an object to provide apparatus ofthis type which is more effective and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription of one embodiment of the invention and the novel featureswill be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a railroad track and a car truck engagingchain embodying this invention, a portion of a railroad car being shownhaving the truck thereof in engagement with said chain.

Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, partly in section, and on a greatlyenlarged scale showing a portion of the chain engaging the truck.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof, on line 3--3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation similar to that shown in Fig. 3, butshowing my chain supporting mechanism when out of engagement with arailroad car truck.

ln the particular embodiment of this invention shown by way of examplein the drawings, 5 represents railroad tracks and 6, Fig. l, representsthe portion of a railroad car provided with Wheels operating on thetrack 5 and having a car truck 7 on which the wheels 8 are mounted. 9represents a pit or similar structure in which the mechanism forcontrolling the speed of railroad cars is arranged, and which isarranged below the level of the track. These pits are preferablyprovided in pairs arranged opposite each other on opposite sides ot' therailroad track, but if desired, only a single speed controllingmechanism and pit may be provided.

As stated in my before-mentioned patent, the speed controlling apparatusincludes a chain mounted on a suitable upwardly and downwardly movableframe, this movement of the frame being for the purpose of enabling thechain to operate in connection with trucks having underfaces arranged atvarying distances above the track. Since this part of the mechanism isfully described in my beforementioned patent, it will not be hereindescribed except that 10 represents threaded rods, the upper ends ofwhich are secured to a support or bed 12 for the chain, this supice portbeing guided in its Vertical movement by means of rods 14 having atelescopic arrangement with tubular or cylindrical parts 15 secured toor formed integral with the chain support 12 and into which the upperparts of the rods extend. The mechanism for raising and lowering thesupport or bed 12 may be operated from a control tower or similarstation so that when a car approaches the portion of the track on whichthe speed control device is located, the chain support 12 will bearranged at the correct elevation so that an endless chain carried bythe chain support will be in proper elevation to engage the undersurfaceof a railroad car truck.

The endless truck engaging chain includes a plurality ot' links 17 whichare suitably guided for movement on the upper surface of the chainsupport 12. Suitable rolling devices are arranged between the support 12and the links 17 of the chain so that the chain may move along the uppersurface of the support 12 with the minimum of friction. ln theconstruction shown by way of example in the drawings, the support 12 hasa plurality of rollers 18 pivotally mounted thereon, for example, onupwardly extending lugs or projections 19 arranged at intervalslengthwise of the chain support or bed 12. These rollers support thelinks 17 of the chain and preferably the rollers are provided at theirouter ends with upwardly extending flanges 21 which engage the oppositesides of the links 17 of the chain and thus keep the chain in correctrelation to the support 12. Any other means for guiding the movement ofthe chain on the support 12 may be provided, if desired.

The links 1'7 of the chain are each pivotally connected with adjacentlinks 17 of the chain in any suitable or desired manner. In theconstruction shown by way of example, each of the main links 17 ishingedly connected adjacent to ends thereof with intermediate orconnecting links 24, for example, by means of pivot pins or bolts 25extending through holes in the main links 17 and through holes in theintermediate or connecting links 24, thus forming an endless chain withthe main links thereof in close proximity to each other to form asubstantially continuous surface to engage the car trucks.

Near the opposite ends of the apparatus, the chain meshes with sprocketgears 27 located mainly within the pit or housing These sprocket wheelsin the particular construction shown are provided with teeth oroutwardly extending parts formed to engage with cylindrical rollers 29which are also mounted on the bolts or pivot pins 25 connecting the mainlinks 17 with the connecting links 24. The sprocket wheels 27 aresuitably secured to the shafts 30 arranged adjacent to the opposite endsof the pit or housing in which the raising and lowering apparatus (notshown) is located. One or both of these sprocket wheels is rotated by amotor or other power device in such a manner that the chain engaging thesprocket wheels will be operated at the speed which it is desired toimpart to the railroad cars. This drive mechanism is not Shown in thedrawings of this application, since it constitutes no part or thisinvention, but is fully disclosed in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,582,316.

The chain has a plurality of elastic or cushioning members mounted onthe outer portions of the links and shaft to contact with theundersurface of the car trucks in such a manner that these pads orcushions will yieldingly engage the car trucks and thus due to thefriction between the trucks and these pads, the car will be forced totravel at the same rate of speed as the chain.

These resilient pads or cushions are preferably pneumatic and may beformed in any suitable or desired manner. In the constructionillustrated by way of example, these resilient friction members are inthe form of short tubes 33 of a rubber or rubber-like material, thetubes being closed at their ends 34 and preferably one of these tubes isprovided for each main link 17. The tubes may be secured to the links ofthe chain in any suitable or desired manner, and in the constructionshown, each of the main links 17 is provided at opposite sides andadjacent to the ends thereof with upwardly extending lugs or shortAanges 34d which are provided with apertures through which transverseretaining pins or bolts 3S may pass. The tubes 33 are provided withapertures in the portions thereof adjacent to said lugs or flanges withholes alined with the holes in the lugs and through which said bolts orpins 35 may pass. The main links 17 are also constructed to coop'eratewith the tubes 33 in such amanner that the tubes will be securely heldon the links 17. ForV example, these links may be provided withlongitudinally extending grooves into which longitudinalV ribs orprojections 36 on the tubes may enter to prevent displacement of thetubes 33 relatively to the main links 17. Other means for securing thetubes on the links may be provided.

The outer or tread portions of the tubes may be provided with parts 38of increased thickness which correspond somewhat to the treads ofvehicle tires, and which engage the lower faces of the car trucks 7.These tubes may be lled with resilient material or may be inflated withair or other gas in any suitable manner, for example, by means of llertubes 40 provided with check valves as is common practice in automobiletires. Consequently, when the chain and the tubes 33 carried thereby arein lowered position and out of engagement with a car truck as shown inFig. 4, these tubes 33 will assume approximately'the shape shown in Fig.4. When, however, the chain support 12 is moved upwardly into ap'osition in which the chain cooperates with a truck of a railroad car,the tube'33 may be depressed, and consequently, deformedA into a shapesuch for example as shown in Fig. 3. It has been found thatcomparatively low air pressure may be maintained in the tubes 33, sincethey are merely required to engage the underfaces of car trucks withsucient pressure to provide the` necessary friction to impart to therailroad car tne same speed as that of the chain, and since the railroadcar trucks are generally made of steel, then if the tubes 33 are made ofrubber or rubber-like material, a high degree of friction will resultfrom the contact of the tubes with the trucks, thus making itunnecessary to provide highrair pressure within the tubes 33.

"lt is, of course,.possible that heavily loaded cars may ber operatedupon by means of my improved speed controlling device, and in order toprevent excessive deformation of the tubes 33, I may under suchcircumstances,

provide within the tubes 33 additional tubes which serveV to reinforcethe tubes 33. In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown smaller tubes 43 arrangedwithin the tubes 33 and also having tread portion 44 engaging the innersurfaces of the tread portion 38 of the outer tubes. in order to receivethese inner tubes, the outer tubes 33 are split lengthwise at theirinner portions adjacent to the links 17, as shown at 42, Fig. 3. Theinner tubes may be held in place within the outer tubes by suitableretaining bolts 46 having enlarged heads within the inner tube 43. Thesebolts extend through suitable apertures in the links 17 and are held inplace by means of retaining nuts 47. These bolts 46 are preferablyhollow and are provided at their outer portions with check valves (notshown), similar to those used in automobile tires so that the inner tube43 may be intlated to the desired extent. 48, Fig. 3, represents theusual dust cap for protecting the valve within tbe retainer tube orhollowbolt 46.

' In order to securely hold the outer tubes in correct relation to themain links 17 on which they are mounted, I preferably provide a spacingplate t) which is interf posed between the inner and outer tubes. Whenthe clamping bolts or tubes 46 are tightened to clamp the inner tubeagainst the outer tube, the plate 50 is also pressed against the innersurface of the outer tubes in such a manner as to force the projections36 of the outer tubes firmly into the grooves or recesses in the mainlinks provided for the same. This plate 50 together with the pressureapplying bolts or tubes 45 also serves t0 prevent air from leaking outof the slit 42 in the outer tube.

ln view of the construction described, it is possible for an operator inthe control tower to raise the support 12 to a greater extent if aheavily loaded car approaches thel speed control devicefso that thetread portion of the outer tube, due to being reinforced by the vinnertube will be pressed with considerably greater'pressure against thelower surface of a car truck as shown in Fig. 3, in which case, not onlythe outer tube 33 but also the inner tube 43 is deformed due to pressureexerted against the car truck.

The middle portion of the support 12 for the chain is substantiallyhorizontal or parallel to the track and the end portions 52 thereofslope downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, toward the sprocket Wheels27, the upper surfaces of which are also below the under'portionof theupper run of the chain. This enablesthe car trucks to engage the chainand the tubes mounted thereon gradu-` ally so that severe shocks to theapparatus are avoided.

Any suitable means may be. of course, provided for absorbing the slackin the chain and also idler wheels cr sprockets 53 may be provided inposition to engage' the lower run of the chain to keep the same incorrect relation to the sprocket wheels 27,. These wheels mayl bemounted on brackets 54 depending from the support 12 of the chain. ,n n

The construction described has the advantage that if any one of thetubes becomes punctured or deflated, it'

will have very little effect upon the operation ofthe speed controllingdevice, since the car truck in that case will move into frictionalengagement with the next tube'.v Air under pressure may easily beadmitted to the tubes,k when the lower run of the chain is in the pitV9, in which position, the air valves 29 and 46 will be readily acces-Isible. If any of the tubes becomes punctured or deated it can be veryeasily repaired or replaced by another tube without extended delay. Thepneumatic tubes employed in connectionwith my chain may,-of course, bemade longer than shown and may be secured to'two or more links, but bymounting each tube on a 'single link there will be relatively littlestretching or deecting of the tubes when passing around the sprocketwheelsi 'Ihe resilient tubes mounted on rigid links guided on thesupports 12 have the ability to adapt themselves to uneven surfaces ordepressions on the car trucks with# out injury to the apparatus, whichwill also not be injured by projections on cars such, for example, asYhoppers which may extend downwardly into positions to con' tact withthe pneumatic tubes. Furthermore, if any of the car trucks have defectsor projections on the lower surfaces thereof the tubes will not bedamaged thereby and will conform themselves to the shapes of theseundersurfaces. n n

Another ,advantage of the -construction describedA is that the energyplaced into the tubes bythe car trucks in compressing the air thereinhelps to slow down theV movement of the cars and at least a part of thisenergy is given back to the car trucks when they leave the inclined endS2 of the speed control apparatus. Because of the resilience ot' thetubes, it is not necessary to adjust i the height of the support 12 withas high a degree of accuracy as in my prior construction.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials,and arrangements of parts which have been herein described andillustrated in order to explain' the nature of the invention, may bemade by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of theinvention, as expressed in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a railroad car handling device including an endless chain arranged inparallel relation to the portion of a track in a position in which Vtheupper mn ofthe chain may contact with the undersurface of railroad cartrucks on said portion of track, that improvement which comprises arigid support along which the upper run of said chain moves, and aseries of individual cushioning devices arranged in successionlengthwise of the outer surface of said chain for engagement with saidtrucks, said cushioning devices being in the form of pneumatic tubesmounted on the outer surfaces of said chain, and smaller tubes arrangedwithin said first mentioned tubes, the outer surfaces of said smallertubes being spaced from said first mentioned tubes, so that pressurewill be applied by said irst mentioned tubes to said inner tubes onlyafter initial deection of said first mentioned tubes.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,195,086 Rammelsberg Aug. 15, 1916 1,682,746 Finnessy Sept. 4, 19281,716,825 Laffey June 11, 1929 2,251,443 Fawick Aug. 5, 1941 2,582,316Doehler Jan. 15, 1,952

